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Nymphs
Alal and humans are both classified as nymphic subspecies engineered during Genesis. A nymph can have a born name, chosen name, clan name, and marital name. Their blood, like other Ereian mammals, is maroon. Nymphic features of any race can be split into three main breeds: goblin, standard and elf. Pureblood goblins have shorter in stature, short tusks, downward-pointing ears, eyes with visible pupil/iris but barely visible sclera, a vaguely feline nose, a defined lip-part, short, unwebbed fringes at the hipline, webbed pawlike hands, rounded pawlike feet, short, thick tails, a short “mane” running down the spine to halfway down the tail and body scales on their knuckles, the back of their paws up to their forearm, their feet up the front of their calves, their inner thighs, and down their front from below the jaw to near the end of of their tail. They are the most well-adapted for downland living. Pureblood standards have horizontal-pointing ears, eyes with visible pupil/iris and sclera, the standard human nose, a subtle lip-part, medium-length fringes at waistline with some webbing, long, unwebbed fingers, long feet, tufted tails, and knuckle scales. They are more versatile between upland and downland living. Pureblood elves are taller in stature, have fangs, upward-pointing ears, solid-color eyes, a vaguely lapine nose, no lip-part, long, fully-webbed fringes just below the shoulder blades, long, unwebbed fingers, long feet, long, narrow, maneless/tuftless tails and no scales. They are the most well-adapted for upland living. * Alal, pl. alal: Alal is an all-encompassing term for several subspecies of nymphs with full-body fur. They are better-known for their diversity between goblin, standard and elvish breeds. * Alan, pl. alan/alans: Alans are the crossbreeds between alal and humans. Apart from their mane (scalp hair), their body fur is often thin enough to see their skin through. * Human, pl. humans: Humans of Ereia naturally have claws, short, tapered ears, slit pupils, a tail, and maroon blood, but no fringe. Goblin breeds are far less common, but not unheard of. Glossaries Calendar * A.R.: After the Rapture, the new suffix to years; the main arcs of Skyfallen begin in the spring of 936 A.R. * P.R.: Pre-Rapture. * Aries: first month; March 22-April 21. * Taurus: second month; April 22-May 21. * Gemini: third month; May 22-June 21. * Cancer: fourth month; June 22-July 21. * Leo: fifth month; July 22-August 21. * Virgo: sixth month; August 22-September 21. * Libra: seventh month; September 22-October 21. * Scorpio: eighth month; October 22-November 21. * Saggitarius: ninth month; November 22-December 21. * Capricorn: tenth month; December 22-January 21. * Aquarius: eleventh month; January 22-February 21. * Pisces: twelvth month; February 22-March 21. Culture *Amagical: non-witch. *Arcade, pl. arcades: Hivemind limbos popularly used pre-Rapture as platforms for VR MMORPG's. *Arcade, pl. arcades: centers that host computers for public use and Hivemind access, and terminals for Hivemind limbos, more common in warrens. *Camp, pl. camps: upland towns, typically small. *Industrial, industrials: any nymph that, between machine and magic, sides with machine. *Journeyhold: stations with lobbies for posting journeymen's quests. *Journeyman, pl. Journeymen: erranders for miscellaneous quests however trivial or serious. *Magiphobia: discrimination against magic and casters. *Museum, pl. museums: apart from the typical museum, entire towns can also be live-in historical records of the pre-Rapture world. *Non, pl. nons: non-witch. *Orchard, pl. orchards: cemeteries in which trees serve as gravestones, commonly expanded in a spiral pattern with the oldest grave at the center and the newest along the edges. *Refuge, pl. refuges: arcade limbos that serve as pre-Rapture museums, where many survivors fled to at the time of the Rapture. *Skyrise: a monotheistic religion that address the sun as their god, constellations as angels and the heavens as Heaven; believes witches stole their magic unfairly from the gods, and that they are the original sin that banished nymphkind from the sky; regards physical and environmental height as reward for the righteous, and the downlands as punishment for the unrighteous; populate the downlands more now because the surface is “tainted by the witch infestation,” and thus are waiting for their divine punishment. *Skrisen/Skyraiser, pl. Skyraisers: a term for those who follow Skyrise, a monotheistic religion that addresses the sun as their god, constellations as angels and the heavens as Heaven. *Warren, pl. warrens: downland towns, typically labyrinthine. *Worm, pl. worms: a segmented train with an engine on either end made to resemble an animal or nymphic face; the length of each car, or thorax, is measured in ribs. Environment * Ereia: The world. * Ereian: of or from Ereia. * Erika: The continent on which most of Spells and Stories of the Skyfallen takes place. * Erikan: Of or from Erika. * Orbit, pl. orbits: year. * Spin, pl. spins: day/night cycle. * Star, pl. stars: planet. Food * Acorn, pl. acorns: can refer to either the oak nut or to Ersatz coffee. Home, Public * Gate, pl. gates: doors, gates and/or windows. * Glow, pl. glows: anything serving as a light source. * Hold, pl. holds: city, neighborhood, town or village. * Lair, pl. lairs: any residency. * Nest, pl. nests: bed. * Roost, pl. roosts: any elevated residency. * Steed, pl. steeds: any animal or vehicle used for travel. * Worm, pl. worms: a segmented train with an engine on either end made to resemble an animal or nymphic face; the length of each car, or thorax, is measured in ribs. * Journeyhold: stations with lobbies for posting journeymen’s quests. * Journeyman, pl. Journeymen: erranders for miscellaneous quests however trivial or serious. Slang * Cavenym, pl. cavenym: a slur for downlanders. Fluffy: a term for alal that can be of either endearment or condescension, depending. Hairball, pl. hairballs: a slur for alal. Hound, pl. hounds: a slur for goblins, referring to their downward ears. * How’s haven: a polite revision of “How’s hell?” * How’s hell: a shortening of “How the hell are you?"